airas_story

Tony Stark and Stephen Strange appreciation with a mild fixation on IronStrange. Also a very tired human, just trying their best.

[airas-story]

Prompt Me! - Temporarily Closed!

Hmm. Given I've been doing prompts for as long as I have, I feel like this pinned post needs to be updated to be more accurate to the now. I have been getting a lot of joy over the last year writing drabbles and snippets based off the prompts that you guys have sent in and hope to continue doing so!

But, for anyone just finding this, this tumblr is mostly full of me writing IronStrange snippets! (For a while it was specifically drabbles/double drabbles/triple drabbles, but I drifted away from that and into snippets which, while often more words, required less precision.) These snippets are mostly a result of the prompts that people send in!

Rules: To keep me from being overwhelmed, the queue is opened until 20 prompts come in, once the 20 (or thereabout, sometimes more get in) are received, the queue is closed until I answer all the prompts at which point the cycle repeats.

I will both edit this post and state it in a post of its own when posts are opened and closed.

The goal is for these snippets to be short. Which... does not always happen, I will admit, some of these have gotten a little out of control. However, I do request that the prompts sent in are sent in with the spirit of being filled in a short snippet. Prompts that require too many words to fill entirely may have only a part of the prompt answered.

I tend to post every day, but life happens and days will be missed.

As for prompts, I'll take most prompts for IronStrange. However, I do not do the following:

Smut

Pregnancy of any sort

Infidelity

Humiliation

Cruelty

Breakups

It is 100 percent okay to ask for a snippet that would fit into the world of a finished story (either long or one shot), you can do so! However, I do not take snippet requests for any WIPs. It just makes my brain go haywire, unfortunately.

Additionally, while not a 'do not', I will start turning down a prompt (or, more accurately, ask it to be sent in next time) if I get too many angst prompts for one session of prompts being open. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing so many of the prompts that get sent in, but I need to be careful not to overwhelm myself with a full load of angst. I will enjoy writing the angst more if I have some fluff to mix it up in, and one of the things I love about prompts is when I can pick and choose from the variety to see what feels good to write that specific day. This has never actually happened, so this is more of a just in case.

Anyway... Thank you to everyone who contributes by sending in prompts or encouraging these snippets in other ways. It's a good part because of you that I'm still writing!

[airas-story]

Ironstrange prompt - https://www.tumblr.com/ironstrangeprompts/819546787176185856/prompt-1885-ever-since-they-first-met-tony-has?source=share

“We don’t have to do this,” Tony murmured under his breath, as Stephen slid in close. “I promise I can handle the bruise to my ego.”

Stephen hummed in disagreement. “This has nothing to do with your ego and everything to do with the fact that I want to see Hammer’s expression when he finds us in thirty seconds when he ‘accidentally’ follows you back here.”

Tony had never in his life thought that he would be grateful to Hammer, but at the moment he almost was. Despite having spent the last five years in jail, Hammer was just as obnoxious as ever. His attempt to embarrass Tony with his latest breakup with Pepper—something about Tony being unstable, which was real rich coming from Hammer—had resulted in Stephen’s arm around his waist and a snooty lie about how Stephen had no complaints about their completely fictitious as of that moment relationship.

Now, Stephen had led Tony into a hallway and had suggested that they be caught against a wall making out.

Which was very much appealing to Tony. He’d wanted to run his hands through Stephen’s hair and kiss him senseless for almost as long as he’d known Stephen. Dream come true. Quite literally, because Tony had dreamed about it a few times.

As it was, Tony probably shouldn’t take advantage.

“Hammer does have a bit of an obsession with me,” Tony noted. “It gets him into trouble, more often than not.”

Stephen hummed in agreement, even as he chose a piece of wall and pinned Tony against it with a sort of determination that was doing very bad things to Tony as he pictured this happening under other circumstances. Any thoughts about not taking advantage of the moment were flying out the window.

“Well, let’s make sure he knows that you’re absolutely taken,” Stephen said. He didn’t give Tony time to answer, leaning in and kissing Tony. There was nothing soft or easy about their first—and possibly last, given the reasons for it—kiss. Stephen felt like he was consuming Tony.

Tony always did give as good as he got.

He slid his hands up into Stephen’s hair—and it was just as thick and soft as Tony had imagined—to angle the kiss to give Tony just a little more leverage. Stephen made an approving noise.

It was longer than thirty seconds before a startled noise pulled them out of it—and Tony didn’t quite stop his own noise of disappointment—as they turned to see Hammer looking a mix of jealous and surprised, as though he hadn’t really believed Stephen.

“You want something Hammer?” Tony asked. “Because we’re busy.”

Hammer spluttered something before retreating.

“That was just as satisfying as I’d thought it would be,” Stephen remarked. He eyed Tony. “And you know, he might come back. We should give him another show.”

Tony wasn’t going to disagree.

[airas-story]

Stephen was on Captain Americas side during the Civil War but after seeing how things were going and beginning to worry about Starks health, he swaps sides.

Stephen arrived five minutes too late to help.

“What happened?” he asked Natasha.

Natasha shook her head. “We’re not sure, exactly. Barnes tore his way out of here. He’s on the loose now. Steve and Sam are after him—” Her expression tightened at that. “I suspect even if they do find him, they’re not going to be telling us.” She gave him a scrutinizing look. “They might call you, though.”

Stephen didn’t react to that. Things between the Avengers—and Stephen as Kamar-Taj’s liaison—had been tense since that meeting at the compound, where Ross had shown up, thrown his weight around, and left the Avengers to argue it out between themselves. Stephen had found himself backing Steve in the argument.

Kamar-Taj couldn’t be under the control of the UN. Their work spanned dimensions, and governmental agents simply didn’t have sufficient knowledge to be governing Kamar-Taj’s actions.

“You’ll tell us if Steve calls?” Natasha asked.

“Where’s Tony?” Stephen asked, instead of answering the question. Things were too complicated, right now, to be making definitive statements. It depended entirely on what Steve called him to say.

Natasha pursed her lips, but then gestured behind her to a closed door. “Trying to talk Ross down,” she said. “He’s trigger happy, at the moment.”

Stephen didn’t point out that it was people like Ross that were turning Steve off of the Accords. He did understand that Tony couldn’t just ignore the Secretary of State, but that didn’t make the situation a good one.

Tony came out of the room, looking exhausted. There was a cut on his temple and a bruise around his eye that was darkening. He was rubbing at his arm. “My left arm is numb, is that normal?” He didn’t seem to actually be asking anyone, just complaining.

The words had Stephen jerking to attention though. “Your arm is numb?” he asked. “Are you in pain anywhere else? Any discomfort in your chest?” Tony blinked at him. “Pain in your neck or jaw? Shortness of breath? Irregular—”

“I’m not about to have a heart attack, Stephen,” Tony interrupted. “I’m fine.”

“I notice you didn’t actually answer any of the questions,” Stephen pointed out. “Meaning at least one of those other symptoms is present.”

Tony ran a hand over his face. “Stephen.”

“Sit down and let me take a look at you.”

“I have 36 hours to—”

“Sit. Down,” Stephen ordered.

Natasha gave Tony a look. “Just let him,” she said. “I’ll start figuring things out.”

Tony rolled his eyes, but sat down.

“Send a medkit our way. The EMTs should have arrived,” Stephen told Natasha as she exited. He approached Tony. “What’s this 36 hour problem?”

Tony sighed. “Ross wants to send special ops after Barnes, Steve, and Sam,” he said. “And I don’t want to hear it, Stephen. Ross is Secretary of State and since Steve hasn’t signed the accords he doesn’t have any protections under it.”

Stephen arched an eyebrow, but left it. “Kamar-Taj won’t sign those accords,” he said. “We can’t.”

Tony rubbed a hand over his face. “The accords aren’t set in stone. It’s a living document, one that can be amended so it will keep everyone safe. The public and us.”

“But it hasn’t yet,” Stephen said. “I can’t put Kamar-Taj in that position.” Someone at the door interrupted them, medkit in hand, and Stephen retrieved it. He grabbed the stethoscope to check Tony’s heartbeat. It was fast and irregular, Stephen noted grimly.

“What if I could get a provisional agreement written for Kamar-Taj,” Tony asked. “The Accords council has been working with us. They were even going to give Steve protections after the disaster in Bucharest.” 

Stephen didn’t know enough about Bucharest to have a statement on that.

“What would this provisional agreement look like?” he asked.

Tony shrugged, grimacing a little as he did. Stephen made note to check for stiffness or injury. “I can’t speak for Kamar-Taj, I don’t know your needs. But if you tell me what you need, reasonably, then I think the Accords will work with us on the provisional agreement until the Accords get to a place you’re comfortable with.”

Stephen hesitated. “You said 36 hours,” he said. “To find Steve before Ross does.”

Tony’s expression was grim. “Well, I better work fast, then. You done reassuring yourself I’m not about to have a heart attack?”

“No,” Stephen said. He reached into Tony’s pocket and pulled out his phone. “You start making calls, I’m going to make sure you don’t stress yourself into an early grave.” He paused, then rested a hand on Tony’s knee. “I do know you’re trying to protect all of us,” he said softly. “And I do want to help.”

Tony’s smile was wan. “Then let me get Kamar-Taj something provisional, so you can.”

[airas-story]

Whee! Thank you for the prompts, they are such a lovely part of my day. <3 I'd like another follow up to the fake dating mission, please! :D https://www.tumblr.com/airas-story/823798666150166529/another-follow-up-for-the-fake-dating-mission

Sequel to one, two, and three.

It’d been almost an hour and Sam was wondering whether Tony would break Steve before they managed to get Stephen and Tony to see sense. Steve had officially created a dating profile with Natasha’s help—and the dings from his phone meant that it was getting a lot of attention—had admitted to an alarming number of childhood shenanigans, and posted some of his art on his barely used social media profile that Natasha had started for him years ago, which had only increased the number of notifications coming from Steve’s phone. And that was just the start.

Tony was showing no mercy.

Admittedly, Sam thought that some of Tony’s dares might be good for Steve—he really did need to date and showing off his art only made him look more human to those idolizing him—but that wasn’t the point of it all. The point of it all was to get Tony and Stephen to see sense.

The rest of them hadn’t gone unscathed—amongst other things, Sam had been dared to eat an habanero, seeds and all, and was just glad they hadn’t had any spicier peppers in the compound—but he was starting to question the reliability of this method of matchmaking. 

Sure, Tony had kissed Stephen and had admitted to Stephen being his favorite in a fairly basic ‘truth’, Stephen had needed to list his desired traits in a partner—which had been so obviously a description of Tony, that Tony had to be oblivious for not realizing—as his own ‘truth’ and then sit on Tony’s lap for a ‘dare’. Both Tony’s and Stephen’s cheeks had gone pink and not quite lost that color yet, but beyond that there was nothing. That wasn’t even all of the truths and dares thrown in their direction, and yet Tony and Stephen were still very obviously in denial.

Sam was almost at the point where he voted they just shove the two of them in the closet. But given it was Tony and Stephen, Sam doubted there wasn’t a closet in existence that could hold them if they didn’t want to be there. The downside to utter competence.

Despite their current failures, Natasha didn’t seem deterred, and she was once again up—having just proven that it was possible, if uncomfortable, to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon in one minute—and Sam couldn’t help but hope that this time was the time they got the right reaction. Her gaze was focused on Stephen. “Stephen, truth or dare.”

Stephen narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Truth,” he said after a moment. 

Natasha smiled, her smile shark sharp. Sam could tell something big was coming and he grabbed a few chocolate covered cashews to enjoy what he hoped was their moment of victory. “Do you love Tony?”

Sam nearly choked on the cashews. They weren’t supposed to get that direct! That hadn’t been the plan.

Stephen froze in place while Tony let out a startled noise, even as he stared at Stephen wide eyed, though Sam wasn’t sure if it was hope or panic in his eyes.

Stephen glanced at Tony, then back at Natasha, then back at Tony. There was a forfeit, for anyone who chose to back out, but no one had used it yet. If Stephen used it now, then Sam knew they’d have made anti-progress.

“I do,” Stephen said, though his tone was not quite as confident as Stephen normally managed.

“You do?” Tony blurted out, staring at Stephen in shock.

Stephen shifted uneasily. “Yes, but that’s… you don’t have to… That is to say…”

Sam caught sight of Natasha rolling her eyes. “You know, Stephen, it’s your turn. Why don’t you ask Tony truth or dare.”

Stephen once again glanced from Natasha to Tony. “Tony,” he said slowly. “Truth or—”

“Truth,” Tony said, cutting Stephen off in his apparent eagerness. It was nice to see that, affirmation in place, Tony was more than willing to get with the program.

Stephen took a deep, heavy breath. “Do you love me?” Stephen asked.

“Madly,” Tony said, before pulling Stephen in for a kiss that was surprisingly desperate for two men who had kissed less than an hour ago.

“Finally,” Sam muttered, satisfied.

Tony pulled back, looking at him. “You know, in hindsight, you guys were not subtle.”

“And yet it still took you an hour to pick up on it,” Natasha pointed out.

Tony’s nose wrinkled in disgruntlement. “Let’s not dwell,” he said. “Am I to take it that this game is over, now that you’ve achieved your goal. Or do I get to torture Steve again?”

Sam laughed as Steve immediately protested Tony having another turn. He threw back another handful of cashews before leaning back, utterly satisfied. All in all, it’d been absolutely worth it.

[airas-story]

https://www.tumblr.com/ironstrangeprompts/823170721326006272/prompt-1924-stephen-has-been-in-love-with-tony?source=share - let's have some angst please 🙏

Hey! I was just reviewing the prompts I received just to better get a feel for the snippets I'll be writing. I admit I don't always check the links thoroughly when they first come in. This means that I did not catch that two different people sent in the same prompt. I do try to catch these things, but I admit, it's fairly rare to get two of the same from the ironstrangeprompt blog since that blog blesses us with many prompts. As it is, yours was the last prompt to come in and this very same prompt was actually the first one to come in (which is quite the remarkable coincidence). All that is to say, I have already filled this one. It ended up being a bit longer than planned, but here's the link again: Not a Distraction.

[airas-story]

https://www.tumblr.com/ironstrangeprompts/820362085782503424/prompt-1894-tony-volunteers-to-be-the-avengers?source=share

I've been waiting to request this one! Thank you!

Tony had never before in his life actually volunteered to attend meetings.

Meetings were one of the great horrors of this world and Tony did his very best to avoid all but the most necessary of them.

Which meant the way Tony had volunteered to be the Avengers liaison for Kamar-Taj the moment he’d been informed that Stephen was going to be the liaison on behalf of Kamar-Taj was a blaring neon sign that he wanted to spend time with Stephen.

Not that Stephen seemed to be picking up on that little fact despite being present when Tony had offered himself as tribute to the bureaucracy gods. But despite the obvious and unmistakable sign that Tony was trying to spend time with Stephen, Stephen still seemed to be laboring under the misconception that Tony disliked him.

No, that was an understatement.

Stephen had gotten it into his head that Tony hated him.

Which… okay. Tony understood where it was coming from. Stephen had thrown Tony in the deep end during the three months it had taken them to reverse the snap and restore the universe—most of the universe didn’t even remember those three months, those who did would never be the same—and that had sucked. But Tony had worked through it! He’d forgiven Stephen for the whole thing before Stephen had even come back to life, recognizing that it had been necessary.

He’d never even said anything about the whole thing! In that way, Steve’s presence after the snap had been useful, because Tony had had a lot of aggression built up and Steve had been a convenient target for it.

Tony had apologized.

Well. Sort of. He’d apologized in a way that worked for him and Steve.

BUT that was beside the point. The point was that he didn’t hate Stephen, had done nothing to indicate that he should hate Stephen, and had, in fact, done an awful lot to indicate that he’d actually rather like to get to know Stephen better.

Nothing.

Nada.

Stephen still acted like Tony hated him.

Luckily for Tony, he now had two meetings a week to get Stephen to see sense. Well, maybe not luckily, given meetings were involved. But sacrifices needed to be made.

He wondered if he could convince Stephen that their bi-weekly meetings should be had over lunch. Surely providing Stephen with delicious food on a regular basis would only help Tony’s cause. Although that did have the side effect of looking a bit like a date. Not that Tony was opposed to that. But maybe, just maybe, he should play it slow.

A moment later he dismissed the idea. He’d never played it slow in his life, now didn’t feel like the right time to start.

Plus, once he’d gotten through to Stephen that Tony didn’t hate him, it would only help prove the point that Tony didn’t just not hate Stephen, he actually quite liked Stephen.

But one step at a time.

[airas-story]

https://www.tumblr.com/ironstrangeprompts/823170721326006272/prompt-1924-stephen-has-been-in-love-with-tony

I really like this prompt so I hope you'll enjoy writing this.

I admit, I didn't expect for this one to grow the way it did. I don't tend to go the jealous route. But grow this one did.

You'd think if I could manage to write 3k words in a rush I could manage a WIP. Just goes to show that the brain sometimes just does as it wills.

Anyway, story here: Not a Distraction

[airas-story]

I made it this time!!! Hello!! For prompt pls:

1/2

Pre-DS Movie: nurses and hospital staff pov on Tony and Doctor Strange's newly revealed relationship

Billy wasn’t a gossip.

He wasn’t.

But... every now and then, there was information so tantalizing, knowledge so delicious, that it was impossible not to share.

“Did Doctor Strange confirm it?” Nancy asked as Billy settled at a table in the break room, tone eager as she double checked that Stephen was nowhere nearby. He wasn’t, but several of their fellow technicians and members of the nursing staff were clearly listening in. “Is he really engaged to Tony Stark?”

Billy couldn’t help but feel a bit of glee at being able to share the news. “Oh, he confirmed it all right,” he said. “Now we all know why Christine laughed when Nic asked if she and Stephen were dating. She’s been covering for him for the last six months so Stephen and Tony could have some privacy.” That had been Christine’s reveal when Billy had ventured a question about the rumored relationship between her and Stephen post the Tony Stark reveal.

She’d been laughing as she said it, and Billy had got the sense that she had found that rumor hilarious.

“I knew it,” someone hissed from behind him. Billy looked to see it was Jamie smirking smugly at Stevie. “They were clearly just friends.”

“I thought they were cute,” Stevie muttered. “At least Christine makes sense, who in the world would have ever guessed that Stephen would be dating Tony Stark?”

Billy had to agree that Tony Stark had been a surprise. But he’d also watched the careful—almost reverent—way Stephen had removed the engagement ring hanging from a chain around his neck. It had been telling.

“From the sounds of it, he’s brilliant,” Billy offered. Stephen had made a terrible joke about how, if Tony died before him, Tony had given Stephen permission to dissect his brain. Or at least Billy hoped that was a joke. Stephen had laughed as he’d said it, at least.

“How did they meet?” Kenzie asked, leaning in.

Billy couldn’t help but feel rather smug at being the one with all the answers. Perks to being Stephen’s regular technician. “A piano showroom, apparently,” Billy said. Which had genuinely surprised him. “Stephen said he’d gone in to request a tuner come by his apartment and apparently Tony was trying out a Steinway model. Or something like that.” Billy knew nothing about pianos. Stephen had gone on for at least five minutes about how good Tony had been. Apparently Tony’s mother had been good enough to be a concert pianist and Tony had taken after her.

Personally, Billy thought it was unfair that a person could be rich, famous, brilliant, good-looking—Billy might be straight as they came, but he knew good-looking when he saw it—and musically gifted. But he supposed Stephen had always said he only wanted the best. Tony Stark very clearly qualified.

“A piano showroom,” Kenzie repeated, sounding surprised. “For some reason that surprises me. I was picturing something a little more… scientific.”

“Apparently Tony is gifted,” Billy said. “And you know how Stephen is about his music.” He’d still yet to catch Stephen out with a song he didn’t know all the stats for, but someday it would happen. 

Nancy snorted. “His musical reputation precedes him here at Metro General,” she said dryly. “It’s almost as renowned as his medical reputation.” She leaned in. “Any juicy bits?”

Billy wasn’t a gossip.

He wasn’t.

But… 

He leaned in. “Oh, I’ve got some.”

[airas-story]

Do you have a favorite prompt you've ever gotten?

Honestly I don't even remember all of them anymore. 😂 We're over 800 drabbles/snippets written, which is over 2 years worth of prompts. There have been some incredible prompts in that time! Even if I did remember them all perfectly, I probably still wouldn't be able to choose one. Beyond that... I will be embarrassingly honest, I can't even choose a favorite color. 😅 Choosing a favorite prompt is FAR beyond my skill set.

I'm curious though, what have other people's favorite snippets/prompts/series been?

[airas-story]

So... I am thinking about making a minor change to my snippet schedule. Although right now this is just an idea of how I want to divvy up my writing time, rather than a certainty. Some adjustments may be made as I figure out what works best.

Going forward, I think I am going to be taking my weekend writing time and designate it wholly toward working on ongoing WIP (of which I have many). The brain hasn't been working very well on any of those WIP as of late (as a lack of updates may have made apparent), but I'm hoping if I give my brain designated time and promise not to get distracted that it will feel safe enough to cooperate. Not sure if it will work... but that is the new goal. SO! Going forward if you see no snippets over the weekends, that is (hopefully) why! I did make some minor progress on a WIP this weekend, so... we'll see how things continue to go.

[airas-story]

just wanted to drop by and say that your writing is amazing!

Thank you so much! The writing has been a little harder to make happen these days, and it helps to hear that people do enjoy what is being written.

[airas-story]

Prompts Closed!

Thank you everyone who sent in prompts! We're at 21!

[airas-story]

Prompts Open!

Thank you for everyone who sent in prompts last time! The queue is officially cleared and it is now time to re-open. A limit of two per person. I'll keep the queue open until 20 have come in! Thank you everyone for making these snippets possible!

[airas-story]

A Stephen that never properly healed from his Time-Loop with Dormammu (plus all the baggage before that) and starts believing during the Titan Time-Loop that Tony is a Reward/Gift from the Universe.

Aka the Heaven at the end if he endures Thanos.

...Until he realizes the Universe is actually laughing at him by making him choose between Tony and literally everybody else.

And Stephen simply snaps...

Me thinks he's allowed to be a little selfish after everything he's been through!

“Why!?” Stephen demanded, voice shaking with both rage and despair. He’d lost Tony again and Stephen couldn’t keep going, couldn’t survive another time loop without knowing how to fix this. Time had failed him, but there was one being who Stephen knew could give him the answers he needed. It was foolish to summon Fate, but Stephen didn’t care anymore. Magic crackled in the air around him, though it did nothing to quell the figure in front of him. Fate seemed entirely unperturbed. “Why would you give him to me only to force me to lose him?”

After everything he’d lost. Everything he’d sacrificed. Everything he’d suffered. He deserved solace. He deserved kindness. He deserved… he deserved Tony. The knowledge that Tony was meant to be his—a gift from the universe—was engraved in his very soul.

“Tony Stark and the Mad Titan are connected,” Fate said. “Their paths entwined. For Thanos to truly die, for his threat to be extinguished, Tony Stark must die as well.”

“Why!?” Stephen demanded again, fury making the magic grow fiercer. Why was Tony’s fate entwined with Thanos? How did Stephen unravel their connection. Because Stephen refused, he refused to lose Tony.

Tony was his.

His solace. His comfort. His.

“Some things merely are,” Fate said, seemingly unbothered. “So long as Thanos is Thanos and Tony Stark is Tony Stark, there is no changing things.”

Stephen wanted nothing more than to take Fate and rip them apart. But that was beyond even him. Though perhaps another few thousand time lines would give him the strength he needed, if losing Tony again and again and again didn’t break him first.

Perhaps Fate sensed the threat in his thoughts, because mist began to gather around them. “There are some things even you cannot change, Stephen Strange.”

But Stephen refused to accept this. “Watch me.”

And then Fate was gone.

Stephen paced, rage and despair ripping through him.

He couldn’t lose Tony. Not again.

But if Fate was right, then there was no way to beat Thanos that didn’t cost Tony his life. So long as Thanos was Thanos and Tony was Tony, then—

Stephen came to a sharp stop. Stephen loved Tony. He would never change who Tony was, he couldn’t so much as bear the thought. But what if he changed what Tony was.

His gaze flickered down to the time stone. What if he changed who he was, too. It wouldn’t do to save Tony and then lose him in forty years.

To utilize the time stone was one thing. But to become the vessel of the time stone… He knew it was possible, though beyond foolish. Stephen would still be Stephen, just… changed. He would be Stephen but more. And if he could get one of the stones… perhaps Soul or Reality, Tony would suit both. Then he could change Tony.

He would not just be Tony Stark, then. He would be a vessel of infinity. 

Thanos would be Thanos, but Tony… Tony would be more. The connection Fate had said Thanos and Tony shared would be broken.

Tony would balk. But if Stephen was right… if he could convince Tony that this was the only way. Tony would do everything for the universe. Even this.

His heart fluttered in his chest. He had a way. He reached for the time stone, prepared to restart the loop. He would have to make sure this worked before he made the timeline permanent. But this… this was going to work.

[airas-story]

If it's not too late for a prompt, how about this: The fight on Titan is over. The heroes won, the day is saved, and it's time to go home. Tony is getting the growing sense, however, that the wizard he's leaving with his way more unhinged and obsessed with Tony than the one he left with. He's trying to ignore the part of him that's finding this... pretty hot, actually.

You are engaged, Tony reminded himself, the words a worryingly familiar mantra these days as he turned on his borrowed bed so he was facing away from Strange, anticipation in his chest. You are engaged to Pepper, a woman you adore.

He could still feel the weight of Strange’s eyes on him and Tony waited.

The trip back to earth was a slow one. They’d managed to get the ship into somewhat working order but with so many people to feed, they’d needed to pit stop to gather supplies so no one starved on the journey home in the struggling ship. Strange had apologized for being unable to just open them up a portal home, citing the distance as extreme.

If sometimes Tony wondered if Strange was lying…

Well, there was no good reason to lie. Surely Strange wanted to get home as much as Tony and Peter did. Right?

The shadows against the wall flickered, and Tony found his gaze following them, trying to figure out what could possibly be creating the almost writhing shadows. But then there were always strange shadows in this ship, circling around Tony.

Tony held his breath, waiting. Wondering if it would happen this sleep cycle the way it had almost every other sleep cycle.

A weight pressed against his hip like a claim. He shivered, breath catching in his chest. He was alone in bed. There was nothing there.

There was never anything there.

Just Strange in the bed across the room watching him.

The weight that wasn’t supposed to be there seemed to trace up Tony’s side. It was so real that Tony almost felt like he was losing his mind. His breath caught in his chest and he shivered again as the weight seemed to trace circles along his hip.

There was movement behind him and then his bed dipped slightly. A hand touched his side. “Are you cold, Tony?” Strange asked, voice low and smooth and sending electricity down Tony’s spine. “I know you don’t like the cold.”

There was no reason for Strange to know that, even if it was true.

Tony wondered what Strange would do if Tony said yes. If he would offer to slide into the bed behind him and offer him warmth.

You are engaged, Tony reminded himself. 

“No,” Tony managed, voice a little rougher than he’d expected to be. Rougher than it should have been. Strange’s gaze was hot and heavy. “Not cold.”

Strange hummed. “You haven’t been sleeping well,” he said.

Tony was pretty sure that Strange hadn’t been sleeping at all, despite nominally sharing the sleep cycle with Tony. Some part of Tony suspected Strange only took the sleep cycle because it put him in the room alone with Tony.

“You haven’t either.”

Strange just hummed. “I don’t need much sleep anymore.” Strange’s hand rested on Tony’s hip almost identical to the weight that wasn’t real. “I can help you sleep, if you need.”

“I’m fine,” Tony said. He couldn’t quite stop himself from shifting, turning away from the wall to actually look at Strange. And if it made Strange’s hand fall off of Tony’s hip it was only a good thing and Tony wasn’t at all disappointed. Strange was looking down at him, blue eyes piercing even in the dark. “I don’t sleep well alone anymore,” he said. You are engaged, he reminded himself. That was not an offer. “What’s your excuse, Strange.”

“I do wish you’d call me Stephen,” Strange said, voice low. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked, but Tony… Tony couldn’t. It felt… dangerous in a way that a simple name shouldn’t. “And like I said, I don’t need much sleep anymore. But I find it… restful, being in here with you.”

“Anymore?” Tony asked. “Since when?”

Strange just shrugged. “Titan was… formative.”

Tony examined him, wondering what all that meant.

“Sleep, Tony,” Strange said, distracting Tony from following those trains of thoughts. “I’ll watch over you.”

“I’m fine, Strange.”

“Stephen,” Strange emphasized. “Please.”

Danger, Tony’s mind whispered. “Stephen,” he capitulated. Strange—Stephen—smiled at him and a shiver ran down Tony’s back. “You can go back to your own bed.”

“All right.” Stephen stood, moving back to his own bed. “Please try to sleep.”

Tony turned back toward the wall, watched the shadows writhe. The weight on his hip returned and this time it was accompanied by a pressure against his back, like being pulled back against someone’s chest. It settled the part of Tony that hated being in bed alone.

You are engaged, Tony reminded himself. And it’s not real anyway.

Tony could feel Stephen’s gaze heavy and warm.

It’s not real.

But it felt so, so good.

[airas-story]

Loved this one, next part pls:

https://www.tumblr.com/airas-story/821887499443060736/tony-is-quite-literally-the-merchant-of-death-how?source=share

Sequel to this one.

”—my sister Doctor Donna Strange,” Stephen said, as he introduced Donna to the donor he’d been ordered to charm. “Who agreed to be my plus one for the evening. ”

“Ah, two doctors in the family,” the donor, a Justin Hammer, said. “I don’t believe I’ve heard your name.” He gave Donna a look that was both condescending and a little inappropriate.

“You wouldn’t have,” Donna said easily. “I’m a doctor of veterinary medicine,” she said.

“And the best veterinarian I know,” came a voice behind them. Stephen startled, turning automatically at the sound of Tony’s voice. He was dressed in an elegant suit, smile genuine and eyes warm. For a moment Stephen’s heart raced and he wondered who, here, was making deals, before he realized that this was not Tony Stark the merchant, but Tony Stark the man. “Hello Donna,” Tony’s voice was soft. “Stephen.”

Donna turned just as quickly as Stephen had and her eyes lit up. “Tony!” She stepped in, and Stephen watched her lean in to press a hello kiss to Tony’s cheek, completely ignoring the lack of proprietary. She had yelled at Tony only once, when she had learned that her life would eventually cost Stephen his. Then she’d cried in Tony’s arms and come out of it with some degree of peace that Stephen had never been able to give her.

Stephen suspected Tony just wanted to make sure that the people whose lives he’d helped save—even if he maintained Stephen and Donna were technically Howard’s deals—got to be lived fully. Though Stephen still suspected he and Donna saw Tony more than most.

“Tony,” the donor, Hammer, said, tone obsequious. “So good to see you. I wasn’t aware you were friends with… veterinarians.”

“The number of things you’re unaware of Justin would astonish no one,” Tony said dryly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I had a few questions for the siblings Strange.”

Justin looked insulted, but he allowed himself to be not-so-politely shooed away.

Which… Stephen looked at Tony. “My hospital director asked me—”

“Justin will try to match any donation I make,” Tony said, interrupting Stephen. “He always does. Your hospital director will be rather pleased at you managing both of us.” He gave Stephen a once over. “You’re looking quite dashing out of your scrubs,” he said. “I daresay I don’t normally see you cleaned up.”

Stephen found himself flushing even as Tony turned to Donna, already complimenting her.

“And not that I don’t love seeing you, Donna,” Tony added on. “But one of these days your brother needs to find an actual date.”

“I told him that,” Donna said, sounding victorious, as though Tony’s agreement would help her win their regular argument that Stephen needed to give the thought of love a chance.

It wouldn’t, because Stephen wouldn’t be persuaded.

“I’ve told him he has plenty of time left,” Tony told her. “You both do,” he added softly. “Long, full lives left to be lived.”

Stephen didn’t know how they could both possibly have a long life ahead of them. But Tony quite literally couldn’t answer most of those questions and probably wouldn’t answer the other half.

“Well, Donna’s not dating, either,” Stephen muttered. “So why should I?”

Donna made a protesting sound and Tony laughed, the sound causing warmth to skitter down Stephen’s back. Sometimes it was strange to him how full of life Tony was, those times he saw him, when he dealt so much with death.

“Well, Donna, I have a few people I can introduce you to. And then perhaps you’ll help me find someone for your brother.”

Stephen didn’t like the sound of that, or the quick way Donna agreed.

“Do you interfere in everyone’s lives this way?” he asked.

Tony grinned at him. “Only the ones I especially like,” he teased, before he turned back to Donna. “Now, I’m fairly certain you’re not hopeless, so let’s find you a lovely partner for the night that’s not your brother and then you and I can work on finding someone your brother will give a chance.”

[airas-story]

For my second prompt, any chance we can get a continuation to Hydra Hostage Stephen please?

I have finally put this one on AO3, so the link to all of the series is right here.

Magic. The word buzzed in Tony’s brain as Stephen leaned heavily against him, breath still a little uneven as he came down from the panic attack that Tony had inadvertently caused.

Magic.

Admittedly, Tony wasn’t as surprised about that fact as he wished he was. But he’d been sharing space with a flying, sentient—fully sapient, even—cloak for long enough that it would probably have been weirder if Tony hadn’t started catching a clue.

Stephen was magic too, or he had been and maybe still was. From context clues Tony could put together that Hydra had been trying to remove the magic from Stephen—or at least the ability to use magic, Tony really didn’t know enough of the details of how the magic worked to even guess at that.

Mordo, whoever he was, had likely been another magic user. Someone who had betrayed Stephen to Hydra. That made him dangerous in more than one way. Dangerous in how far he’d go. Dangerous in how ill-thought out the plan was. If Hydra did learn something from what they’d done to Stephen, some past alliance wouldn’t protect Mordo if they decided to turn it against him.

But that, Tony reminded himself, did not matter right now.

Right now what mattered was Stephen and helping him.

Though Tony had no clue where to start. He wasn’t even entirely sure what had brought the conversation about. Stephen still didn’t talk much, most certainly not about Hydra or his past. The fact that he’d brought it up completely unprompted probably meant something, but Tony hardly knew what.

Stephen’s breathing was steadying, shifting a little to better look at him Tony realized that steadying wasn’t the right word. It was deepening as Stephen was seemingly falling asleep. Tony glanced at his table and acknowledged to himself that he wouldn’t be getting much work done in the near future, not with how Stephen’s weight was settling against Tony like Tony was a favorite pillow.

He ran a hand over his face. He hadn’t meant to bring about this newest panic attack and it gave the lurking thoughts that he wasn’t the right person to help Stephen back to the forefront. And now that Stephen was back in contact with Wong… well, there was a good chance that wouldn’t be his responsibility for much longer.

Which was good in the sense that it meant Stephen was healing, but Tony still couldn’t quite stop the sense of loss it filled him with, either. Which was ridiculous, because the whole point of Stephen being here was to help Stephen heal so he could return to his life. Which was what Tony wanted for Stephen. But the sting of loss didn’t quite fade even with that knowledge.

“I have no clue what I’m doing,” Tony said aloud. He looked up at the ceiling. “JARVIS, why didn’t someone put a stop to this before I was made responsible for someone else’s wellbeing.”

“Perhaps, sir,” JARVIS started, “you are alone in finding yourself a poor choice.”

Tony made a face at the nearest camera, but was distracted by the shift of red in the corner of his eye.

He turned to see the Cloak had disentangled itself from Stephen—though it kept a corner of fabric wrapped around Stephen’s wrist to maintain contact. The Cloak shifted so that it was in front of Tony, fabric rippling and lapels shifting in a way that looked like both question and remonstration.

Tony took a guess at the meaning. “I’m not saying I regret it,” he said. “I’m just saying Stephen deserves someone who actually knows what they’re doing and can help. This is the second panic attack I’ve managed to send him spiraling into.” Presumably someone who knew what they were doing would be smart enough not to do that.

A flash of red and Tony received a gentle swat to the head.

“I’m not feeling sorry for myself,” Tony protested. “I’m just saying—”

The Cloak crossed fabric the way a teacher would cross their arms.

Tony sighed. “I just want to do what’s best for him,” he said quietly. “And as long as he wants to be here, he has a place here. I just don’t know if I’m what’s best for him. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

The Cloak reached out and touched his cheek, almost gentle, before shifting to fall back on top of Stephen.

Well, at least the Cloak thought Tony knew what he was doing. Or at least thought Tony’s fumbling wouldn’t mess up things too much.

Stephen shifted against him a little, but Tony startled when Stephen spoke, rough and sleepy. “Want to.”

Tony frowned. “Want to what?” he asked.

“I want to be here,” Stephen said. “Please don’t…” He felt Stephen shudder against him.

“I won’t,” Tony said, guessing at how that sentence was supposed to be finished. “I won’t send you away.”

When Stephen felt healed enough, Tony would help him move on, but until then… Stephen could call Tony’s place home as long as he wanted.